Saturday, April 28, 2012

I'm joining Karla over at Life in Special Education who is hosting a linky party for special education teachers to list the skills we teach constantly that will never be on any standardized test, but are so essential for our students to be successful! Some times I get strange looks for others in our school who don't understand why I'm not "helping" my students complete certain tasks, or when I sit in my student's desk just to see if they will ask for me to move.

Yes, I teach language arts, math and others...but there's a lot more to those classes than meets the eye!
Here's some of the unwritten curriculum that I teach daily:

1. How to greet individuals
2. Appropriately interrupting conversations
3. Saying "I'm finished" and ask for more work
4. Knocking on closed doors instead of walking away
5. Delivering handwritten messages
6. Pushing the handicapped button for the door to open
7. How to do google/youtube searches for entertainment
8. Using a kleenex
9. Asking to go to the bathroom
10. Walking to the lunchroom independently
11. Dealing with changes in a schedule
12. Self-management strategies
13. Independently going through the lunch line
14. Not stealing food
15. Waiting in line.
16. Personal space
17. Saying "No" if someone wants to take something that is yours
18. Asking someone to move if they are in your seat.
19. Asking relevant questions in a conversation
20. Answering questions with a reasonable answer
21. Choosing a preferred activity during breaks
22. Getting pencil and paper when needed to do work
23. Asking for help
24. Making eye contact
25. Following simple directions (motor planning)

25 seems like a good place to stop, but I'm sure I could keep going! My job might not fit into the "normal" teaching category, but I LOVE it and wouldn't trade it for anything!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

This week was state testing week. But not for me! My special needs, functional level students do not participate in the regular standardized testing. So, our department has adapted a special vocational assessment day called the Work Olympics. It’s pretty awesome.

So first we grouped our students so that they would be doing activities appropriate to their ability level. Yellow = low, Orange = middle, and Green = high. And, as always in special education, different modifications are given to students so that they understand and are able to complete their tasks. Students all received a card with the activities listed and had to complete all of the activities on their card and then could check out some of the other ones.

Wipe

Table

Rolling Silverware

Sort

Laundry

Fold

Laundry

Haul

Trash

Sticker

Items

Sort

Silverware

Dry

Trays

Wrap

Burgers

Size

Clothing

Place

Setting

Sort

Mail

Mock

Interview

Stuff

Folders

Application

Letter

Chrono.

Order

Alpha Order

After completing each station students received a sticker to mark off that they had completed that activity.

Students were timed at each station and the amount they completed in that time frame was recorded on the data sheets at each station. Below are the different stations and a few pictures that I took yesterday.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

If you teach special education you should be familiar with the "next dollar" method, or "dollar over" strategy. If not, well you should. :) Basically, the student looks at the number before the decimal point, counts out those dollars and then adds one more dollar for the change.

Here is a work box that I use with my students for independent practice with the dollar over strategy (I got this wonderful idea from my mentor teacher!).

All the materials needed are in this box. (index cards with dollar amounts, paper clips, prompt, and dollars)

So the student takes the card and counts the amount of dollars and "adds one for the change."

Then the student slides all the dollars under the paper clip on the index card so that I can check them when they are done!